Today we’d like to introduce you to Donovan Zimmerman.
Hi Donovan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Paperhand got started when Jan Burger and I met 30 some years ago at the Haw River Festival. The festival issn environmental education program for 4th graders that focuses on ecology, wonder and connection with the Haw river. We did our first smaller scale show there and got a lot of positive feedback. We decided to keep collaborating and that friendship has carried us through these many years. We have collaborated with many folks since then, but we remain at the center of the Paperhand universe. Before that I had been a drifter, making art and music in various countries and people. Jan was being an artist and activist as well. As a kid from 4th grade on, I went to the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, OH. When I graduated I went to the Art Academy of Cinci for one year. The traveling started soon after that and at one point when I was around 19, I landed at the Bread and Puppet Farm in Glover VT. This was a life changing moment for me as it set me on the puppet path from then on. I realized that there was a way to do all the creative things that I was passionate about under one big tent. This initial spark of inspiration is what has kept me going and the flame continues to burn.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve been lucky and the art Paperhand has made has received a lot of support along the way. It took tenacity and perseverance but, we made it through. There were hard times of course. Having no money was tricky at times. Help came when I needed it and so feel blessed and, well… lucky!
Some of the other challenges was on the job training on how to lead. I wasn’t able to always stay as kind as I’d have liked. I have tried hard to get better at that. Overwhelm sometimes looks like shortness or frustration. I have always just wanted to do something good and with the effort, so I lean in hard sometimes. Mostly, I think things have gone well and I have made many lifetime friends that feel like family. I feel so grateful for all the gifts that life has presented me. It’s truly humbling.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have made my career/life all about puppetry and mask theatre. This includes drawing, painting, sculpting, theatre, dance, costuming, music, storytelling and much more. It has been a continual thrill to be engaged with all of these art forms while getting to collaborate with multi disciplined artists from all types of backgrounds. I love making art move and breathe. Puppetry is just so compelling in that it opens up parts of people that are unexpected and help remind us of the magic in the world. I am driven to remind everyone who comes in contact with Paperhand’s work that wonder, curiosity and inspiration can be shared dynamically through this art form in ways that bend our collective humanity toward creativity, justice and mutual flourishing. We all have pain and loss and hard stuff that happens in our lives. These art experiences I help create are meant to awaken our sense of interconnectedness, tap us back in with the natural world and help to heal ourselves. It’s not the only answer, but, it can be a part of the solutionary vision we cultivate for a livable future. I put all the energy I have into this and won’t quit til I’m gone.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I think the most important lessons I’ve learned are:
* to stay committed to truth and justice.
* Be willing to learn from the Earth and its creatures
* Be kind and try to do good in the world
There are many things but, these are some that popped in my head just now.
Pricing:
- Our shows are $25 for adults and $15 for seniors, kids, and students
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.paperhandpuppet.org
- Instagram: @paperhandpuppet
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaperhandPuppet
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=paperhand+puppet
